


Prickle

by Azelto



Category: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell & Related Fandoms
Genre: F/M, No actual sex, stubble kink
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-02
Updated: 2020-03-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:46:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22991197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Azelto/pseuds/Azelto
Summary: Arabella is turned on by Jonathan's stubble
Relationships: Arabella Strange/Jonathan Strange
Kudos: 8





	Prickle

On a crisp spring morning, Arabella Strange awoke in the morning having found that her husband had not gone to bed. She assumed he would be in the library, having spent the whole night reading the books that Mr Norrell had lent him.

After she had washed, dressed, and eaten breakfast, she knocked on the door of the library with the hope to inform him that it was now morning, and that she would rather he went to bed at a reasonable hour no matter how eager he was to master a new spell.

But when she knocked, there was no answer.

She knocked a second time, then sighed and opened the door, now too exasperated to care about disturbing him.

Jonathan was asleep, his head on the desk, breath coming out in soft puffs. When Arabella shook him awake, he almost jumped out of his seat and his bloodshot eyes darted around the room.

“My dear, it is morning.” Arabella said. “You were studying all night.”

“Was I?” His eyes widened. "I didn’t notice the time… I had been intending to retire at eleven, but I must have become sidetracked...”

As Jonathan turned to look at the desk to check that the book he had been reading wasn’t damaged, it was then that Arabella noticed the stubble that covered his cheeks and lower jaw.

Without even realising it she drew in a breath. What was it about him looking so… _dishevelled_ that made him so much more attractive than when he was clean-shaven? All of a sudden she wanted to run her hand along his jaw, feeling the texture of it, so unlike her own smooth skin.

Her thoughts were cut short when Jonathan got up to go to the bathroom and wash. When he was finished, Arabella noticed that his jaw was now clean-shaven, and she realised she felt disappointed. She couldn’t quite envision him with a full beard, as that would be far too drastic an alteration of his appearance. But a few days’ stubble would suit him well, she thought; it would make him handsome in a completely new way.

Luckily Arabella didn’t have to wait all that long to be able to see him like that again. For just over a week later, she awoke a second time to find that she was alone, and that Jonathan had fallen asleep in the library. This time she knew what she wanted, and hoped he would allow her to have it.

“Jonathan, you fell asleep studying again.” She said once she had woken him. “This cannot be good for you, surely even a magician should be well-rested.”

“I am sorry, Bel,” Jonathan sighed. “There is just so much to learn and I… why are you staring at me like that?”

“You’ve grown stubble.” Arabella reached forward to stroke his jaw. The texture sent waves of arousal through her body.

“Well, yes, I haven’t shaved since yesterday, that is generally what happens when…”

“Let’s go to bed. I missed you last night.”

He drew in a breath. It was true that he had been neglecting Arabella in favour of practising magic, and that he had other needs that only she could satisfy. He rose from the chair and said, “I must wash first, though -”

“Leave it.” Arabella wrapped her arm around his waist. “Let me have you as you are.” And before he could protest, she led him up the stairs to their bedroom.

More often than not, Jonathan would let Arabella have her way with him when they went to bed; sometimes he would become too flustered to do anything and would need her to take charge. Once she had guided him down onto the bed, he said, “Now what would you have me do?”

“Look at that painting, please.” She said, referring to a still-life hanging on the wall opposite the bed.

Albeit looking a little confused, he did so, so that his cheek was facing her and his stubble was on full display.

“Now let me… oh… _oh_ …” As soon as her hand touched Jonathan’s stubble, the arousal began to rise up in her and it was like her wedding night all over again, but somehow even more intense. Her fingers caressed his cheek and the texture made her mouth water. Stroking it with the back of her hand was even more of an experience; it was prickly and rough against her soft skin, and sent a shiver down her spine.

“What are you doing, Bel? Aren’t we going to make love?” As he spoke, the movement of his jaw made his stubble scrape against her hand.

Arabella gasped. “This is…” she swallowed. “This is more than enough…”

“What is? You touching my stubble?”

“ _Yes_ , I… I wish I could make you understand…” She grabbed a fistful of his hair and leaned in to kiss his jaw, felt it prickle against her lips. She ran the fingers of her other hand under his chin, feeling his jawbone, wondering if his stubble ever itched, if it was a pain to have to shave it every morning.

Jonathan swallowed, and again the way his stubble scraped against Arabella’s skin as he did so made her gasp.

“Does my stubble arouse you?” He asked.

Arabella removed her mouth to speak, leaving his cheek wet with her saliva. “It does…” she drew in a breath. “Oh Jonathan, you have no idea…”

“What is it about it that arouses you? Perhaps it is how different my jaw is to yours?”

“Yes, that is it, that is exactly it…”

There was something intrinsically masculine about Jonathan’s stubble; it was the same as how Arabella became aroused by his flat chest. The simple absence of breasts like her own was what made her so aroused by Jonathan’s chest. She was enthralled by its flatness, and would often run her hand down it just to marvel at how her hand could move in a straight line.

She covered his cheek and jaw with kisses, savouring each shock of the texture as if it were a pleasant taste in her mouth. Then she opened her mouth and lapped his stubble with her tongue, felt its roughness against her taste buds. Now she was addicted to the feel of it; she didn’t think she’d be able to stop touching it, couldn’t get enough of the prickly texture against her skin and tongue. Gasping and moaning, she pressed her teeth against Jonathan’s cheek and covered his lower jaw in her saliva.

“Would you kiss the stubble near my neck? It would feel nice for me.” Jonathan said.

“Yes my love, of course…”

He turned to face her and tilted his head upwards, so that Arabella could access the sensitive skin under his chin. As she kissed it he started to gasp and she could feel his pulse quicken; it only served to make her hungry for more. The faster his breathing became, the more his stubble scraped against her skin and it was enough to make her lose all forms of coherent thought.

And then somehow, despite them both being fully-dressed, she climaxed. Waves of pleasure tore through her body, and he held her as she trembled through her orgasm.

“Please… don’t ever shave it off…” Arabella said when she was finished.

“But I must shave it eventually,” Jonathan said once he had regained his breath. “I cannot present myself as a gentleman if I am not clean-shaven.”

“Couldn’t you just leave it for today? I cannot get enough of it.”

“Well, I suppose one day wouldn’t hurt. Perhaps I could invent a spell to make it grow when you wanted it.”

Arabella laughed. Despite her concern about Jonathan becoming too absorbed by his fascination with magic, she supposed being married to a magician would always have its benefits.


End file.
